Door structures



Dec. 12, 1967 A. M. JOHNSTON 3,357,149

DOQR STRUCTURES Filed June 15, 1966 FIG-4 I FIGS United States Patent 3,357,149 DGOR STRUCTURES Alex M. Johnston, 4802 Piuehurst, Garland, Tex. 75040 Filed June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 559,047 1 Claim. (Cl. 52627) My invention relates to door construction and is particularly directed to a glass door construction in which the frame is made of metal.

The object of this invention is the provision of an improved tubular metal frame for glass doors, the metal framing members being of the type which is shaped so as to provide an integral recess which retains the outer edges of the glass, especially designed so that the ends of the horizontal members may extend through the glass retaining portion of the vertical member to the main inner wall of the vertical member without removal of the glass retaining portion from the vertical member, but by cutting two narrow slots across those glass retaining portions of the vertical member, leaving portions of them to fit into the inside of the tubular horizontal member so that they may serve to horizontally and vertically locate the horizontal member on the vertical member.

Attached to this application is a drawing of my invention, to which reference in the following description will be made.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the door structure described in this specification.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the vertical member of the door structure, showing the bolt which fastens the vertical member to the horizontal member.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the vertical member.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the horizontal member.

FIGURE 5 is another perspective view of the vertical member.

As above stated the type door to which this invention relates is made up of framing members which provide a recess to contain the edge of the glass. The recess does not contain the glass tightly. The void between the Walls of the recess and the faces of the glass are filled on both sides with putty or a resilient material which may be inserted after the frame is assembled around the glass. In this invention it is necessary that that filler be thicker on the vertical member than on the horizontal member, as it is necessary that the recess in the vertical member be wider than the recess in the horizontal member.

FIGURE 2, an end view of the vertical member ref erence number 1, shows the glass retaining portions 2 and 3, and the glass containing recess 4. This figure also shows the bolt 5 which fastens the vertical member to the hori zontal member, and a rectangular re-inforcing washer 6, and lock washer 7 between the head of the bolt and the inner wall 8 of the vertical member. The bolt 5 fastens the vertical member to the horizontal member by threading into the screw race, in the horizontal member, reference number 9, FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the vertical member, drawn so as to make visible the hole 10, through which the assembly bolt passes, and the hole 11, through which an Allen wrench or screw driver may be passed to turn the assembly bolt during assembly and disassembly of the frame around the glass. FIGURE 3 also shows the slots 12a, 12b, 13 and 13a in the glass retaining portions 2 and 3, the function of which are more particularly described hereafter.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the horizontal member 12, showing the screw race 9, and the glass retaining recess 14. In assembly of the frame, the upper walls of the horizontal member, reference number 15 and 15a,

3,357,149 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 FIGURE 4, insert into slots 12a and 12b in the vertical member, FIGURE 5. The lower web of the horizontal member, reference number 16 and 16a, FIGURE 4, inserts into the slots 13 and 13a in the vertical member FIG- URE 5. The co-relationship between these horizontal walls of the horizontal member and the slots in the vertical member provide vertical location of the horizontal member on the vertical member, preventing the horizontal member from moving up or down on the vertical member.

The outside dimension of the screw race 9, FIGURE 4, and the glass retaining recess 14, FIGURE 4, in the horizontal member, is less than the inside dimension of the glass retaining recess 4, FIGURE 5, of the vertical member, so that the screw race portion and the glass retaining recess portion of the horizontal member will pass into and be contained by the glass retaining recess of the vertical member.

The outside dimension of the glass retaining portion of the vertical member, the dimension between surface 17 and surface 18, FIGURE 5, is the same or very slightly less than the inside dimension between the outer walls of the horizontal member, surface 19 to surface 20, FIG- URE 4, so that the end of the horizontal member slides over and encases the glass retaining portions of the vertical member. The co-relationship between these vertical walls of the horizontal member and the outer walls of the glass retaining portion of the vertical member provide horizontal location of the horizontal member on the vertical member, preventing the horizontal member from moving in or out and from twisting on the vertical member.

Maintainance of the position of one end of the horizontal member against the inner wall of the vertical member is provided by the assembly bolt. It is to be noted that although this drawing shows a longitudinally continuous partial cylinder in the horizontal member for the assembly bolt to thread into, this exact method of holding the horizontal member firmly against the side of the vertical member is not considered necessary to the invention, but might be achieved by several different devices such as a bolt which would extend the full width of the horizontal members with nuts on the ends within scope of the appended claim.

It being desirable in the use of this type door that the door be easily cut down to fit an undersized opening, petitioner would like to point out how little is required to achieve reduction of size in width or height, or both, by the use of simple hand tools.

To cut the door down in width requires only cutting off one end of each of the horizontal members, and retapping the screw race to receive the assembly bolts.

To cut the door down in height require only three steps: (A) cut the vertical members off one end to the desired length, (B) re-drill hole 10, and (C) out slots 12a, 12b, 13 and 13a in the vertical members.

It should be noted that although the drawings show only the detail of the lower right corner joint, the other three corners are joined in a similar fashion.

I claim:

In a door structure of the character described includmg four separate members arranged into a rectangular framework surrounding a fiat sheet wherein the vertical and horizontal framing members are provided with glass retaining recesses and wherein the outside dimensions of the glass retaining portion of the vertical member is the same or slightly less than the inside dimension between the outer walls of the horizontal member; and wherein the inside dimension of the glass retaining portion of the vertical member is greater than the outside dimension of the glass retaining portion of the horizontal member, a mechanical corner joint between the square cut end of the horizontal member, and the side of the vertical member,

the glass retaining portions of the vertical member being provided with two horizontal slots receiving the horizontal walls of the horizontal member, allowing the square cut end of the horizontal member to contact the main Wall of the vertical member, the outside Walls of the horizontal member passing around the outside of and containing the glass retaining portions of the vertical member, and the glass retaining portion of the horizontal member passing into and being contained by the glass retaining recess of the vertical member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner: ALFRED c. PERHAM, Examirten. 

